But then, we tempered our celebration when we found out that unlike NYC, there was no law to mandate Open Data statewide. In our view, its critical that a law be put in place to ensure that this Open Data initiative is sustained beyond gubernatorial election cycles.

Perhaps, Governor Cuomo can push through a law similar to NYC’s Local Law 11 of 2012 and appoint a statewide Open Data Tzar (NYC has one with Andrew Nicklin), who will then have the necessary “sticks and carrots” to push through Open Data initiatives.

Governor Cuomo, assuming he wins reelection, has till 2018 to pass through a statewide Open Data Law. By then, NYC’s Open Data Portal would be fully operational with all, if not most of the City’s data.